Worth It
by bluebellfantasy
Summary: Sometimes, you just need a push in the right direction from two scheming 8 year olds.
1. The Scheming Begins

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for being patient with me. I know I said I would upload more stories after the Vincent Christmas one, but I just started college classes up again and I've been SO. BUSY. But it's been so much fun! I just haven't had as much time to write as I would like. But I had this idea in my head for a while, and I thought it was so freaking cute and funny that I couldn't _not _write it. I hope you enjoy the beginning of this short story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or any of it's characters. **

"Man, Denzel," Marlene said with a heavy sigh, "raising two grown-ups is _hard." _

Denzel looked up from his homework to see Marlene sitting across the table from him. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand, her long braid falling over her right shoulder. Marlene was looking at nothing in particular, but Denzel could see frustration in her dark brown eyes.

"Raising two grown-ups?" Denzel asked, confused.

Marlene answered in a tone of voice that showed Denzel how stupid of a question that was. "Tifa and Cloud. Duh."

"I know who you're talking about," Denzel said, annoyance creeping through his voice. "I just don't know what you mean by us raising them."

Marlene let out another sigh. "Don't you feel like sometimes we're the only ones who can talk sense into them?"

"I...guess so?" Denzel questioned. The truth was, he knew what Marlene meant. As smart as Tifa and Cloud were, sometimes it felt like he had to spell some things out for them. It only led to frustration on both ends for not understanding one another. "Yeah," Denzel said after a moment, putting down his pencil and turning his full attention to Marlene. "I know what you mean. Why do you ask?"

Marlene's hand dropped from her chin and onto the table with a small _thunk_. "I just wish the two of them would say something already. Yesterday when Cloud came home from delivering stuff, Tifa looked really happy."

"She always looks happy when Cloud gets home." Denzel pointed out.

"I know," Marlene said defensively, "but that's not the point. The point is," she leaned across the table, her voice lowering slightly. "she went up to him like she was going to hug him, but at the last second she just said, 'Welcome home,' and went back to the bar. I was drawing last night, and I was kind of close to her, and she just looked...sad." Marlene's voice dropped to a whisper as she continued, "I think she chickened out because she loves him."

Denzel could feel his eyes widen slightly. "Really?" At Marlene's nod, he said, "I mean, I know they're good friends and all but I wouldn't have guessed _that_."

"Because you're not a girl," Marlene said wisely as she straightened up in her chair. "We know these things by instinct. Which probably explains why Cloud is so oblivious to how Tifa-"

"I wouldn't say that." Denzel interrupted. Marlene gave him a questioning look, and he continued. "I mean, Cloud's done some things like that too."

"Really? Like what?" Marlene asked, somewhat skeptically.

Denzel thought for a moment, trying to remember what happened a few days ago. Once he got his thoughts collected he began: "The other night I woke up because I was thirsty, so I went downstairs to get some water. Tifa was cleaning the bar because everyone was gone, so I stayed on the steps because I didn't want to get in trouble for being out of bed. And then Cloud walks in. Tifa didn't see him because she was humming to herself and stuff – you know how she gets when she cleans." Marlene nodded and Denzel continued. "And the weird thing was, Cloud just kind of...watched her. Like, he usually comes in and says hi or that he's home or something, but he just stood by and looked at her." Denzel repeated Marlene's earlier actions, leaning across the table and lowering his voice to a whisper. "And then...he _smiled_."

Marlene let out a small gasp. "No _way_!"

"Yeah!" Denzel said, nodding vigorously. "And not one of the smiles he gives us – you know, where his mouth barely moves – but a _real _smile." Denzel sat up in his chair, stretching slightly. "I mean, when have you ever seen Cloud do that?"

"Never!" Marlene answered at once. "What happened after that?"

"Well, he eventually said he was home and Tifa said hi. And here's another thing – he was looking at her all..." Denzel struggled to find the right word. "All..._soft_. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah!" Marlene said, nodding her head in enthusiasm.

"But then Tifa noticed I was on the stairs and that was the end of that," Denzel said with a sigh. "anyways, I think Cloud feels the same way Tifa does, because I've never seen him act like that before."

"Denzel," Marlene stated in an authoritative voice as she slammed her fist on the table, "we have to do something!"

"Like what?" Denzel asked, a bit taken aback by Marlene's sudden shift in demeanor. "You know how they both are. They'd probably deny how they feel until the chocobos come home."

"That's exactly _why _we have to do something!" Marlene insisted. "if we don't at least tell them to get their act together it'll never happen!"

"But we're juts kids," Denzel pointed out. "what can we do?"

"They usually listen to what we have to say," Marlene said dismissively. "and as for what we can do, I have a plan..."

_Later that same day..._

Marlene was helping Tifa dry the dishes from dinner when she dropped the question. She said it in the most casual way she could think of: "Tifa, why don't you just tell Cloud you love him?"

Tifa let out a short gasp, dropping the plate she was washing into the sink. Soap bubbles flew into the air, and a good deal of water covered the front of both her and Marlene's shirts. Tifa quickly handed Marlene a nearby dry hand towel.

"Sorry about that." Tifa said, wiping away some bubbles that had landed on her upper arms. Marlene wiped the bubbles off of her own shirt, waiting patiently. It was a solid minute before Tifa let out a sigh and said, "what made you want to ask me that?"

"Because," Marlene began, in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice, "you guys make googly eyes at each other all the time."

"Oh really?" Tifa replied, with an eyebrow raised.

"Yep!" Marlene set down the towel and looked up at Tifa. "you also always look like you want to hug him, but you never do. And you smile more when he's around. And you're less stressed when he's home. And you always worry about him so much when he's away, and -"

"Okay, okay," Tifa interrupted, holding up her hands. "fair enough." She turned back to the kitchen sink and resumed washing the dishes, scrubbing a bit harder than was necessary. Marlene noticed that her cheeks were flushed slightly, and there was a crease between her eyebrows that always appeared when she was frustrated about something.

"….So why don't you say anything?" Marlene asked again, making sure that her voice was soft.

"It's not that simple, Marlene." Tifa answered, her voice taut and quiet.

"Yeah, it is!" Marlene insisted. "you just have to say it. I know you want to." she put her hands on her small hips as she continued. "Denzel and I are getting sick of you two dancing around each other and nothing happening."

Tifa attempted to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "Sorry, kiddo. You may just have to deal with that."

"But why?" Marlene asked, her hands dropping from her hips in frustration. "Don't you _want _to tell Cloud how you feel?"

Tifa, who had just put the last dish in the drying rack, pulled the plug in the sink. The gurgling of the water going down the drain nearly drowned out what she said. "Of course I do." After a slight pause she added, much more quietly, "more than anything." She wiped her hands on the towel and fully turned to Marlene. "but like I said, it's not that simple. There's lots of contributing factors."

"Like?" Marlene prodded, gesturing to Tifa to continue.

"Like..." Tifa paused for a moment. "like the fact that he and I have known each other for forever. Or that we both have baggage. Or of how shy he is and sometimes doesn't want to talk." Tifa walked over to the adjacent wall and turned off the light switch.

Marlene followed Tifa from the now dark bar to the stairs. "Is that all?"

Tifa let out a small laugh. "Hardly."

"But you care about him, right?" Marlene asked as she and Tifa began to climb the stairs.

Tifa paused mid-step and looked over her shoulder. "Of course I do! He's my best friend. But Marlene, you have to understand: it takes more than caring about someone to make a relationship." She continued as the two of them made their way to the top of the stairs. "And with all that Cloud has been through, the last thing I want to do is force him into something he doesn't want."

Marlene stopped in front of her bedroom door. She put her small hands on her hips and gave Tifa a look that so resembled Barrett's stare down in battle that it gave her slight deja-vu. "What makes you so sure he doesn't?"

Tifa's breath caught in her throat. There was silence between the two of them, but she swore she could hear her heart beating in her ears. A small flower of hope – one that she had continually squashed and smothered – was blooming inside of her heart. Did Marlene know something about Cloud that she didn't? Was it possible that Cloud _did _want something like that when she had tried so hard to convince herself that he didn't?

"What are you talking about, Marlene?" she finally asked quietly.

Marlene threw her hands in the air with a groan. "I'm _just saying _that you two need to stop being such chicken-wusses and just tell each other already. If that's how you feel, then it's worth it whether you're chicken-wuss about it or not." She turned, walked into her room and turned to Tifa, her hand on the doorknob. "Geez, you two are worse than Cid and Shera before _they _finally got together." And with a roll of her eyes, she shut the door.

Tifa stood on the landing, her mouth slightly open. _She is more like Barrett than I thought, _she said to herself as she slowly walked into the master bedroom. Tifa sat down her bed, her head in her hands. She had to give Marlene credit: that little girl could read her emotions better than most. Tifa thought she could hide how she felt about Cloud; after all, that's what she'd been doing for years. It became as normal as the air she breathed.

The possibility that Cloud could feel the same way brought both a smile to Tifa's face and a pain to her heart. If he did, she could stop the act and finally show Cloud just how much she cared about him. Tifa had what felt like a whole ocean of feelings for Cloud, and she often felt like she drowned in them lately. The other night she wanted to hug Cloud, but a voice of reason pulled her back: _he's been through so much/he's so damaged/i don't want to force it/what if he doesn't want to? _So she simply let her arms hang limp at her sides and welcomed him home instead.

Tifa suddenly remembered how Marlene was standing close to her as that event happened. _That girl is way too observant for her own good, _she thought, shaking her head with a smile.

If Marlene was wrong, it would hurt more than the pain of hiding how she felt about Cloud now. Things would never be the same between the two of them. The friendship would be gone. The loss of their deep friendship almost seemed more sad than him not returning her feelings. The two of them had been through so much, more than most friendships would ever withstand. But this was one thing that could possibly unravel it.

Tifa had had this conversation with herself so many times that it was practically memorized. But this time, Marlene's stark, honest advice stuck out more than the problems and concerns she had:

"_If that's how you feel, then it's worth it whether you're chicken-wuss about it or not." _

Tifa came to a conclusion: sometimes you didn't need to convince yourself to not take a chance. Sometimes you just needed the wisdom of an eight-year old girl.


	2. Man to Man

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews so far! I have absolutely loved writing this story so far. Writing Denzel and Marlene's dialogue has made me laugh and squeal so much! Sometimes little kids have such profound words, you know? I had a little cousin live with my family and I for a while and sometimes she would say things that were so deep! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! There will be one more after this!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of the characters. **

"How did it go with Tifa?" Denzel asked the next morning over breakfast.

Marlene stabbed at her pancakes, scowling slightly. "More unsuccessful than when I tried to convince Uncle Cid to stop smoking."

Denzel whistled softly. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse." Marlene said, stuffing a chunk of pancake into her mouth. "She denied it at first, but then she started talking about how it was probably something Cloud didn't want. I gave her a piece of my mind before I went to bed." She swallowed her food before continuing. "I basically told her that it's worth it to tell someone when you love them, even if you're a chicken-wuss about it."

"You're not wrong." Denzel replied, smiling a little.

"I know! That's what makes it so frustrating!" Marlene groaned dramatically. Denzel chuckled as he reached for the syrup. "Have you talked with Cloud yet?" Marlene asked after a moment.

Denzel shook his head. "He came home really late last night and I fell asleep waiting up for him. But I will tonight!" he added hastily as Marlene gave him a look. "I promise."

Marlene smiled. "Good to hear."

Denzel was about to ask Marlene about how he could ask Cloud about his feelings, when Tifa walked back into the room. Marlene quickly went back to finishing her pancakes, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Denzel once again reached for the syrup as Tifa sat down across from them, filling her own plate with food. For a while there was no sound except for cutlery scraping against dishes.

"You two are awfully quiet this morning," Tifa remarked, looking at the two of them. "is everything okay?"

"Fine," Denzel said, right as Marlene said, "Yeah, sure, everything's peachy keen."

Tifa raised an eyebrow, but didn't question further. Denzel began to pour some syrup on his pancakes when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up to see Cloud in his usual attire, his blonde hair flat on one side from sleeping and covering his mouth as he yawned.

"Morning Cloud!" Denzel and Marlene said unison.

"Hey," Cloud mumbled as he sat down in the chair beside Tifa. He reached for a mug and began to pour himself some coffee. His eyelids kept drooping, however, and at one point he missed the mug by a good few inches. Coffee poured on the table, splattering everyone's arms and hands.

"Here, let me do it," Tifa said, gently prying the handle of the coffeepot from Cloud's hand. Cloud simply nodded in reply, yawning again. "Marlene, could you wipe this up, please?" Marlene nodded and dashed into the kitchen. Denzel was still working on his pancakes, but he was watching Cloud closely.

There were previous days when Cloud would make a mess because he was so tired, but he never let Tifa do anything. He would insist on cleaning up the mess himself. Denzel didn't know if him letting Tifa clean it up was because Cloud was more tired than usual, or if the suspicions he had about Cloud warming up more to Tifa were true. Denzel did notice, however, that as Tifa finished pouring his coffee, Cloud was looking at Tifa in that soft way again. But Tifa didn't seem to notice. She put down the coffee and resumed eating.

Marlene came back into the room shortly afterwards, holding a damp rag. She sopped up the coffee quickly and gave a small smile to Cloud as he thanked her. Marlene laid the rag aside, sitting back down beside Denzel.

"That's….a lot of syrup, Denzel," Tifa said with a laugh. Denzel snapped out of his stupor only to see that his pancakes had so much maple syrup that it was dripping off the sides of his plate and onto the table. He quickly tilted the bottle back up, ignoring Marlene's laughter.

"Got a lot of deliveries today?" Denzel asked Cloud as he began to wipe up the spill.

Cloud took a long, slow sip of coffee before replying. "Not too many. Hopefully I'll be home early if no one else calls."

"That's good," Tifa said, smiling. "maybe you'll get the chance to work on Fenrir."

"I hope so," Cloud answered. "I haven't taken a good look at it in about a while."

"Can I help?" Denzel asked eagerly.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Yes!" Denzel shouted, pumping one fist into the air in excitement. Tifa let out a small laugh, and Marlene smiled. When neither of the adults were looking, Marlene gestured to Cloud, then to Denzel, then made talking motions with her hands. Denzel nodded in confirmation. Marlene gave him a thumbs up with a wide smile.

"I should get going," Cloud said after quickly downing the rest of his coffee. "they're expecting this first delivery in a little bit."

"Do you want anything to eat before you go? All you've had is some coffee." Tifa asked, concerned.

Cloud shook his head as he stood. "No, I'll be fine. I'm more awake now."

"Oh! Hang on one second," Tifa said, standing abruptly and walking to the kitchen. She came back a moment later with some food in a portable case. "Here, I packed a lunch for you."

"Thanks," Cloud said, giving her a small smile as he took it. "Appreciate it."

"No problem," Tifa answered, smiling back at him. There was a short pause before Tifa suddenly reached up and ran her fingers through the flattened part of Cloud's hair. Marlene, who was slurping some orange juice, gasped in surprise. She set down her glass, sputtering slightly

as she and Denzel watched the two of them closely.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked. Denzel could detect the smallest of quivers in his voice.

"Part of your hair was lying flat," Tifa replied, still brushing his hair with her fingers. "I didn't want you going out looking like you just rolled out of bed." There were a few moments of silence before Tifa finally said, "there you go." She had been so fixed on Cloud's hair, however, that she failed to notice just how close she was to him. Her brown eyes widened slightly, and the faintest trace of pink tinted her cheeks.

Marlene turned slightly to Denzel, her eyes wide. Denzel could practically hear her internal scream: _DO YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW?! _Denzel resisted the strong urge to laugh as Marlene turned to look back at Cloud and Tifa.

"...Thanks," Cloud said softly after a rather tense pause. Was it a trick of the light, or did Denzel see that his cheeks were slightly pink too? Cloud cleared his throat. "I should, uh, head out."

"Oh! Right," Tifa exclaimed, dropping her hand to her side. "well, have a good day. We'll see you when you get back."

"Bye, Cloud!" Denzel said. Marlene just sat in her chair, transfixed at the scene that just unfolded before her. Denzel wouldn't be surprised if she turned around and she had pink hearts for eyeballs. Denzel gave her a slight nudge. Marlene finally managed to say goodbye just as Cloud shut the door behind him.

"You two should finish up," Tifa said, looking at the clock on the wall. "you have to leave for school in a few minutes."

Marlene shoveled the rest of her food into her mouth before bolting upstairs to grab her bag. Denzel merely picked at his now soggy pancakes, thinking hard. Cloud was not someone who talked openly about his feelings. If anything, he strongly resisted it. How could he ask Cloud in a way that wouldn't make him shut down?

"You okay, Denzel?" Tifa asked in concern as she sat back down.

"...yeah," Denzel replied, managing to take a few more bites of his syrup-drenched pancakes. He swallowed his food before mumbling, "I just miss Cloud when he's gone."

He wasn't planning on being truthful with Tifa. Being the only boy in the house while Cloud was gone was difficult. Denzel had a few friends at school, but none of them lived close by. He liked hanging out with Marlene, but it just wasn't the same as when Cloud was home. There was a lot of drawing and endless talking with Marlene as a best friend. Sometimes Denzel just longed for the comfortable silence that was prevalent between him and Cloud.

Tifa looked slightly surprised at first, but quickly covered it with a gentle smile. She put a hand over Denzel's. "I know, buddy. But today is your lucky day, since he's planning on being home early. You two can get some one on one time."

"Yeah," Denzel replied, smiling. "that's true." He stood up, picked up his plate and walked over to the sink. After rinsing off his dishes, he went up to his room, put on his shoes and grabbed his schoolbag after making sure he had everything.

"Bye, Tifa!" Marlene shouted over her shoulder as she ran to the bus. Tifa didn't reply. Denzel stopped for a moment and looked back at her. She was no longer eating, but staring into space with her hands under her chin.

"Do you miss him, too?" Denzel blurted out, just as Marlene called his name from the street.

Tifa blinked and seemed to come out of her train of thought. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She paused for a moment, then said: "I do. I really do." Her voice was quiet and somewhat sad-sounding.

"DEENNNZZZEELLL! We're gonna be LAAATTTTEE!" Marlene screeched. Denzel bid Tifa goodbye and shut the door behind him before running onto the bus.

_Later that same day…_

Cloud was already home by the time school was out. He looked more awake than he did this morning, and Denzel noticed that he kept glancing over at Tifa. A small smile would come to his lips whenever he did so. A few times Tifa noticed and would smile back at him before going back to what she was doing. Poor Marlene was so frustrated by the lack of talking between them that she had a crease in her forehead by dinner.

Denzel had pondered all day about how to bring it up to Cloud. When he asked Marlene how she brought it up to Tifa, Marlene simply shrugged and said, "I just flat-out asked her. That way she wasn't left with excuses. That might be best for Cloud, too. You know how he is."

Which was what ultimately led Denzel to ask, as he and Cloud were in the garage working on Fenrir later that evening, "Cloud, why haven't you told Tifa you love her?"

Cloud, who at that moment was tightening something on Fenrir, dropped the wrench onto his foot. He let out a few choice words before picking it back up, deliberately not looking at Denzel. Denzel could see that his face and even some parts of his neck were beginning to turn red. Cloud turned back to the motorcycle, returning to his task. Denzel waited patiently. He knew that Cloud had heard his question just by his reaction alone. He also knew better than to press the issue; that would only push Cloud away.

After a few moments, when Cloud had screwed on the part tighter than it needed to be simply for the sake of not answering, he finally looked at Denzel. Cloud tried to maintain his usual stoic expression, but Denzel could practically feel how caught off-guard he was.

"….Why are you asking me that?" Cloud finally asked.

"Because it's kind of obvious," Denzel said, spinning the screwdriver he held in his hands. When Cloud didn't question it further, he continued: "I mean, the way you look at her and stuff."

"Is that so?" Cloud replied, his attempt at keeping his voice monotone unsuccessful.

"Yeah," Denzel said, smirking slightly at Cloud's discomfort.

"...Did Marlene put you up to this?" Cloud asked, after another pause.

"Uh...not really." Denzel replied, his voice hesitant. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Okay," Denzel confessed, letting out a sigh. "she kind of did. But it was both of our idea. We just noticed that—that you and Tifa -" he paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to say it. "We just noticed that you and Tifa are acting more awkward around each other. I mean, more awkward than usual. Like this morning when she fixed your hair."

"She was just doing it because I didn't notice it," Cloud said, holding out his hand for the screwdriver. Denzel handed it to him. "I would've looked like an idiot if I went out like that."

"Or maybe she just wanted an excuse to run her fingers through your hair," Denzel mumbled, not exactly quietly.

Cloud stiffened a little at Denzel's blunt choice of words before replying. "What put that idea into your head?"

"Like I said, the way you look at her." Denzel scooted himself across the floor to get closer to Cloud. "and the way she looks at you when you're not looking."

Cloud didn't answer for a moment. He simply looked at the screwdriver he held in his hand, looking lost in thought. "Tifa's put me up to things, too." he finally said.

"Like the time she made you wear a dress and wig?" Denzel snickered.

"No, that was Aerith," Cloud said with a sigh. "and it was only because we had no other option."

"But you did it _for_ Tifa, right?"

Cloud looked at Denzel. Denzel sat there on the dirty garage floor, looking at Cloud in a very serious way. Denzel was a somewhat serious kid in general, with all the things that he had been through, but he looked more solemn now than Cloud had ever seen him. The intense look Denzel had in his blue eyes nearly gave Cloud goosebumps.

"….Yeah," Cloud answered. "I did."

And it was true. The moment Cloud knew that Tifa had been kidnapped by Don Corneo, nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Not even his discomfort at cross-dressing. Not even the knowledge that a pervy old man could potentially pick him to be a "bride for the night." The moment he knew she was safe it felt like the world had been taken off of his shoulders.

"Because you love her." Denzel said, more as a statement than a question.

That much was true, too. Cloud always knew that he loved Tifa, even when they were children. It was the one solid fact that was never distorted through his Mako poisoning. It was the one thing that held him together whenever times got hard. Hearing Tifa's voice, seeing her smile...it became an anchor for him in desperate times of anguish.

It was also the one thing that held him back. Tifa was one of the few friends Cloud had. Not only that, she was the one who knew him the best. What kind of jeopardy would their friendship be put into if he were to tell her how he really felt? And not only that, Cloud didn't even know how _to _tell her in the first place. One of the main reasons he never said anything was because he was waiting for her to make a move.

But what if Tifa never made a move? Was it possible she was just waiting for _him _to do so?

Cloud let out another sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Denzel, it's not that simple."

"I know," Denzel said softly. "but you shouldn't keep someone waiting, even if it is scary. You never know when they might stop waiting and move on."

The door to the garage opened and Tifa poked her head in. "Denzel, don't you have some homework to do?"

"…..no." Denzel said. Tifa immediately caught the lie in his voice and gestured for him to come inside. Denzel sighed, stood up and slumped over to the door. Tifa stepped aside to make way for him.

She was about to follow him in, when she noticed Cloud looking at her. "You okay?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

"...I'm fine," Cloud said, turning back to Fenrir. When he heard the door close behind him, he let out yet another sigh. He rested his forehead against the cool metal of the motorcycle, thinking hard. Denzel's words reverberated inside of his head:

"_You shouldn't keep someone waiting, even if it is scary. You never know when they're going to stop waiting and move on." _

After staying up late, fixing Fenrir and thinking harder than he ever had in his entire life, Cloud came to two conclusions: sometimes kids knew exactly what to say when you needed to hear it. And he would be damned if he were to ever lose the one person closest to him.

**Author's Note: stay tuned for the last chapter! Thanks for reading (and hopefully reviewing)! **


	3. Moment of Truth

**Author's Note: OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS. I am so so so so (10 minutes later) so sorry this is so late! I planned to have it published a lot sooner, but then some personal crap happened and I had some writer's block for a while. This whole month has been absolutely insane, but I'm so excited to share this final chapter with you all! I have loved this story so much because of how cute the concept is. I hope you've all loved reading it as much as I've loved writing it! Thanks again for being so patient with me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, nor any of its characters. **

Normally, Marlene did not wake up in the middle of the night. Usually she was asleep within the first fifteen to twenty minutes she was in bed. So when she woke up to see it was still dark outside, she looked around the room in confusion. Denzel was still asleep in the bed across from hers, breathing deeply. Marlene glanced at the small clock on her nightstand: it was a little bit past midnight. She was still hours away from being woken up for breakfast. Marlene shifted her position under the covers, closed her eyes and attempted to fall back asleep.

Even though the blanket was heavy and Marlene was warm and cozy, sleep did not want to come. Marlene's mind seemed to think it was time to get up: her thoughts were going off in tangents about school, Denzel, how her father was doing, and the recent happenings between Cloud and Tifa. Marlene let out a small groan at the realization that she wasn't going to be going back to sleep anytime soon. She flopped onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling.

Denzel said he counted to 100 or higher when he couldn't sleep, but that sounded boring. Marlene let out another sigh and closed her eyes again. Maybe if she tried really hard, sleep would come to her._ I wonder what Cloud and Tifa do when they can't sleep, _She thought to herself as she opened her eyes again.

At the passing thought of the two of them, the events from the past few days came flooding back to her: her and Denzel's plan, talking to Tifa, the morning when Tifa fixed Cloud's hair. It had been a few days since Denzel had talked to Cloud, and nothing unusual or new had happened between him and Tifa. Life had gone on as usual: schoolwork, helping Tifa run the bar on occasion, etc. Cloud had gone back to his normal routine of leaving the bar early and not coming back until late. He had been home for dinner a few times, but for the most part he was gone. Marlene could practically feel Tifa's worry for him at times. _It's a miracle she hasn't exploded yet, _Marlene thought to herself somewhat sadly.

The familiar sound of a motorcycle filled Marlene's ears. She gasped, sat up quickly, ripped off the covers and ran to the window. She pressed her nose to look outside, quickly fogging up the glass with her breath. A lone figure on a motorcycle was making it's way towards the bar. Marlene let out a small squeal as she recognized the messy blonde hair peeking out underneath the helmet. As the headlight on the motorcycle grew brighter, Marlene ran over to Denzel's bed.

"Psssst. Denzel."

Marlene let out a small huff of annoyance as Denzel continued to sleep. She reached out and shook his shoulder a little. "Denzel. Wake up."

Denzel shifted in his sleep a little, but his eyes stayed closed. Marlene shook his shoulder harder. "Hey! Denzel! Wakey wakey! This is important!"

"Huh?!" Denzel opened his eyes. Upon seeing Marlene's excited face, he slowly sat up. "Marlene? What's going on?"

"Cloud's home!" Marlene whispered excitedly.

"….so?" Denzel asked, covering his mouth as he yawned.

"_So," _Marlene emphasized, tugging on his arm, "Tifa's still up, too!" Denzel merely looked at her with sleep-ridden eyes. Marlene let out another sigh. "It's not that hard, Denzel! Cloud. Tifa. Downstairs. _Alone." _

It took Denzel a full seven seconds to understood what Marlene meant. Once the message became clear, however, all thoughts of sleep seemed to vanish. "Do you think they'll finally talk?" he asked excitedly.

"They better, or else I'm gonna have some words with them!" Marlene answered, standing up. "Now lets go! Cloud is gonna be coming inside any second!"

Denzel threw back the covers – shivering from the cold night air as he did so – and followed Marlene to the door. Once outside the bedroom, Denzel grabbed Marlene's shoulder. She looked back at him in desperate annoyance, but her face softened when she saw Denzel's finger at his lips. Marlene nodded. The steps leading downstairs were creaky in some places. If the two of them were caught Cloud and Tifa's chance to talk was over.

The two of them stepped lightly, practically holding their breath in trepidation. It seemed to take forever to get from the landing to the staircase. Marlene gently grabbed the railing as she descended, with Denzel close behind her. The light spilling from the bottom of the stairs grew brighter, and they could hear Tifa humming as she usually did when she was cleaning.

At the second to last step, Denzel stopped and sat down. He wrapped his arms around his legs, listening intently. So far there was nothing but the sound of Tifa's humming. Marlene sat on the step in front of him, leaning forward to see if Tifa's back was turned. She turned to Denzel and motioned for him to move closer. Denzel slowly scooted down, now sitting on the floor. Marlene settled for standing above him, looking outside. Denzel slowly poked his head around the side of the door, looking into the kitchen.

Tifa's back was turned to them. She stood at the counter, packing away some leftover food into small containers. She was quietly humming to herself the same little tune she always did. Even by looking at her from behind, Denzel could see the slump of her shoulders and the way her hair hung almost limply down her back. It suddenly struck Denzel just how tired Tifa must be. Here was a woman who worked tirelessly – endlessly – and yet he never heard her utter one word of complaint. She was always willing to help him and Marlene with anything they needed, even if she had a million other things to do.

Denzel's thoughts were interrupted at the opening of the garage door. He shifted his gaze to Cloud walking inside. Cloud took off the motorcycle helmet and tucked it under his arm. Tifa's whole demeanor seemed to have changed: she still looked tired, but a light filled her eyes that Denzel only saw in small moments. She immediately straightened up, walking over to Cloud with a smile on her face.

"Hi! You're home late," she said, taking the empty container he held in his hands.

"Sorry," Cloud mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh no, don't be!" Tifa said hastily. "I understand. It's fine."

Cloud shook his head. "I know I said I'd be home earlier, but -"

"Cloud," Tifa responded gently, "it's okay. Really." She walked over to the sink and put dirty container in it. Cloud didn't respond. Denzel noticed that Cloud was rubbing the back of his left hand, wincing slightly.

Tifa, meanwhile, had crossed to the fridge and opened it. She poked her head inside. "Do you want some stew? We've got a bunch leftover." Upon not receiving an answer from Cloud, she looked back at him. "Cloud?"

"Huh?" Cloud's head snapped up. He noticed Tifa looking at him in concern. "Oh, uh, yeah. That sounds good."

Tifa looked at him for a moment before taking the leftover stew out of the fridge. She scooped some up into a bowl and put it in the microwave. After she set the timer, she walked over to Cloud. Tifa simply looked at him for a moment, nothing but the hum of the microwave in the air.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine." Cloud replied.

At this, Denzel looked up at Marlene. She looked down at him, and the two of them rolled their eyes in unison. This was Cloud's typical immediate response. Whenever he said this, everyone in the room – even people who didn't know Cloud personally – knew that he wasn't "fine." Cloud had been getting better at being a bit more open with his emotions since the Geostigma incident, but he still wasn't that far from where he was before. He seemed to care more about others feelings rather than his own.

"Don't do that," Tifa said, her voice still quiet.

"Do what?" Cloud asked, his brow furrowed.

"You know darn well what!" Tifa said, chuckling slightly. As her laughter ceased, her voice turned serious. "Cloud, I know you well enough to know when you're not okay. Please don't lie to me."

Denzel felt a hand clamp on his shoulder. He looked up to see Marlene staring, wide-eyed with her mouth slightly open. Denzel could only guess what she was thinking: _oh my gosh, this is like in the movies where they look into each other's eyes and slowly fall more in love with each other, and then...THE BOY LEANS IN FOR THE KISS! _Denzel smiled before turning his attention back to the scene in front of them.

For a moment, Tifa and Cloud just looked at one another. Dark brown eyes looked into bright blue ones. The tension in the room was so thick – whether with an oncoming fight or hidden passions, Denzel did not know – that the two children felt goosebumps emerging on their skin. Marlene shivered involuntarily, then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

The microwave beeped, and Tifa jumped slightly. She walked back over to the microwave, hissing slightly at the contact her hands made with the steaming bowl. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and walked back over to Cloud, who had sat down at the table. Tifa set the bowl in front of him. Denzel looked up at Marlene, whose face looked like she was holding in a lot of swear words. Just like her dad.

"Thanks," Cloud said quietly, picking up his spoon.

"No problem." Tifa replied. She pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.

Cloud raised the spoon to his lips and swallowed. He gave Tifa a small smile. "Pretty good."

"Thanks," Tifa said, smiling back at him. While Cloud was stirring his stew she asked, "Busy day today?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. A few of the deliveries were way out in the middle of no where, easily an hour or more there and back."

Tifa whistled. "Dang. That's far." She paused, swallowed hard and then continued. "I'm glad you got home alright." The words came out small and quiet, so drastically different from Tifa's personality, that Cloud looked up from his stew. Tifa looked like she wanted to do nothing more than shrink underneath the chair and into the floorboards. She averted her eyes from him, her cheeks slightly pink.

"It's not like she's never said that to him before," Marlene whispered in Denzel's ear.

Denzel nodded. "Yeah, but it's the first time she's said it after what the both of us talked with them about." Marlene nodded.

Cloud very slowly and hesitantly reached out a hand. He gently laid it over one of Tifa's hands that was laying on the table. Tifa looked up at him in surprise.

"Me too," was all Cloud said. He gave Tifa the smallest of smiles. At this, Marlene had to stuff her first into her mouth to prevent herself from squealing. Her grip on Denzel's shoulder was like a vice, and Denzel tapped her leg slightly to tell her how much it hurt.

Tifa managed to give Cloud a small smile, but it fell almost immediately as she looked down at Cloud's hand covering her own. "How did you get that cut?" she asked.

Denzel hadn't noticed it before. As Cloud pulled his hand away from Tifa's, Denzel saw a long, deep cut on the back of his hand. It was still bleeding a little. He heard Marlene let out a small gasp behind him. _That explains why he was rubbing his hand, _Denzel thought, recalling just a few moments before.

"It's nothing," Cloud said, putting the hand in his lap. He returned to his stew, avoiding Tifa's eyes. Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but Cloud quickly cut her off. "Trust me, Tifa. It's nothing."

"Then why are you hiding it from me?" Tifa asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. Cloud didn't answer but merely kept eating, still avoiding her gaze. The silence between the two of them, once thick with the words they weren't saying, was unbearable with tension. Denzel looked up at Marlene, worry filling him up like drink. Marlene looked both concerned and a bit frightened, a stark contrast to the glee she felt only moments before.

"Did you get attacked?"

Tifa's voice was taut, like a violin whose strings were tuned too tightly. But it wasn't with anger; it was with fear. The question wasn't enough to make Cloud look up at her, but he did put down his spoon. It clinked against the side of the bowl. Cloud let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"…..Maybe." he finally admitted.

"Oh, Cloud," Marlene groaned quietly. Denzel couldn't blame her or Tifa for being frustrated. There were times when Cloud came home late with random scrapes or bruises, and it was easy to put two and two together.

Tifa said nothing. After a moment of suspenseful silence she stood up, picked up Cloud's now empty bowl, and walked to the kitchen. She put the bowl in the sink and reached in the cupboard to her left. She grabbed a bottle of clear liquid, a large bandage, a tube of ointment and a clean rag. Tifa sat back down across from Cloud and opened the bottle. A strong smell of potion filled the air as she dabbed a little on the rag.

"This may sting a little," she said cautiously. Cloud nodded. When the rag made contact with the wound, Cloud winced. Tifa gave him an apologetic look as she continued to clean the cut. She was so focused, however, that she once again failed to notice that Cloud was looking at her in that soft way again.

"What happened?" Tifa asked, after a moment of silence. Her voice was still tight-sounding.

"Stray guardhound wandering around," Cloud answered, hissing a little as Tifa wiped the rest of the cut clean.

"A guardhound? In the middle of nowhere?" Tifa asked skeptically.

Cloud shrugged. "It's just as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"Well, the good news is, I don't think you'll need stitches," Tifa sighed, spreading a thin layer of the ointment on the cut. "just keep it covered and you should be good." she handed him the bandage.

"….Thanks," Cloud said after a moment, taking the bandage from her.

Tifa nodded and walked back over to the sink. She began to wash the dishes in such a rigorous manner that even Cloud looked at her in slight confusion. Steam rose from the sink, and when Denzel caught a glimpse of Tifa's hands he saw that they were a bright red from the heat.

Cloud finished putting the bandage on his hand, then stood up. "Tifa, what's wrong?"

"...it's nothing." Tifa answered. Her voice shook slightly.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Don't do that," he said, echoing her earlier words.

Tifa let out a deep sigh, turning off the water. She dried her hands on a nearby towel. "Its just...do you have to do deliveries so far out? You don't get home till really late, and the last few times you've been out there you've gotten hurt somehow."

"This?" Cloud said, holding up his now bandaged hand. "this is nothing. I'm just lucky I got away when I did."

"But you still got hurt," Tifa pointed out, her voice rising slightly.

"It's no big deal, Tifa," Cloud emphasized. "you don't have to worry about me."

"No big deal?!" Tifa asked, her eyes widening. "Cloud, what if that scratch happened on your face? You'd be bleeding all the way home. Or what if that Guardhound bit you somewhere?"

"I got home quickly enough," Cloud countered, his own voice rising just a little. "and the Mako has healing properties. You know that."

"Yeah, but it can only do so much!" Tifa said, her voice hardening. "And there are monsters out there, and you could get hurt even worse than you have tonight!"

Denzel and Marlene looked at one another. They could tell they were both thinking the same thing: _this is __**not **__how it was supposed to go. _What had happened to the tender moment they had just a few minutes before? How did that get replaced by a potential fight?

"Yeah, there's monsters out there!" Cloud said. He was beginning to sound irritated. "And I needed to make that delivery. This one was really important, it was medicine for a sick kid. That's worth going out there," he added, seeing Tifa's stony look, "and no one got hurt, so it's no big deal."

"_You _did!" Tifa said loudly, gesturing to his injured hand.

"I said it's nothing," Cloud dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. "I've had worse."

"Yeah, but it could _get _worse! And that's what you don't seem to understand!" Tifa threw her hands in the air. "I've asked you a million times not to do deliveries out where you get hurt, Cloud! And you just – don't – _listen _to me!"

"But we need the money!" Cloud shot back, taken aback by Tifa's sudden change in her tone.

"I realize that," Tifa shouted emphatically, her eyes shining and her face turning pink. "but your life is way more important than any amount of money we could possibly get!"

Cloud gave Tifa a slight glare but didn't break his gaze. Tifa swallowed hard a few times, and Denzel could see her eyes beginning to turn red. She looked away from Cloud, blinking a few times to keep the tears at bay. Cloud's eyes widened slightly. Denzel and Marlene could understand his surprise: it would be a cold day in hell before Tifa Lockhart ever let anyone see her cry.

Tifa began to speak, her voice much softer now. "I worry so much about you when you're out there. Whether you're safe or not. Whether you're an okay place emotionally. I know you can handle yourself, but I somehow still find myself worrying. I've tried to tell myself so many times not to, but I just can't." Her voice began to waver. "Because the truth is, I'm scared. I'm so scared that you're _not _okay, that you're _not _safe or something is trying to hurt you. And then I feel like I'm not doing my part by helping you, but I don't even know if you want to _be _helped!" Tifa furiously wiped at her eyes. "And then when you go out there, you always get hurt! Last time it was worse, and this time you may not have needed stitches, but there may come a time when you're out in the middle of nowhere...and you get hurt real bad...and...and..." Tifa couldn't seem to finish her words.

Cloud looked at Tifa as she continued to angrily wipe at her eyes. His face, so hard and frustrated moments before, had softened. There was a light in his eyes that Denzel had only noticed a few times before. A special light that only came when he was looking at Tifa. It made him look sad yet somehow happy at the same time.

In a matter of seconds Cloud stepped forward, hesitated for only a moment, and then quickly wrapped Tifa in a hug. Tifa squeaked a little in surprise as Cloud buried his face in her hair, holding her tightly. Tifa slowly raised her arms and hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. Her own shoulders shook. Denzel could tell she was crying.

There was a small sniff from behind him. Denzel looked at Marlene to see her wiping at her own eyes. Denzel gently took one of her hands in his own and squeezed it in reassurance. Marlene squeezed back, giving him a watery smile. Denzel smiled back before returning his attention to Cloud and Tifa.

Tifa and Cloud stood there in the kitchen, holding one another. After a few moments Cloud pulled away from the embrace to look into Tifa's face. He swallowed hard before he said, in a very quiet but very firm voice, "There is no way in _hell _that I'm leaving you. Or the kids." Tifa sniffed, wiping at her leaking eyes. Cloud raised a hand, paused for a moment, then gently wiped away the tears coating Tifa's cheeks.

At this, Marlene was gripping Denzel's shoulders so tightly that Denzel let out a soft wince. "Watch it! That hurts!" he whispered, glaring up at her. Marlene didn't seem to notice. Her big brown eyes were practically filled with stars, and a big smile was forming on her face.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," Cloud continued, still looking at Tifa's face. "I didn't know going that far freaked you out so much."

Tifa shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I try not to worry. I know you can take care of yourself. But I just...do. And I'm sorry. I know I've gotten on your case about it before."

"I can take care of myself," Cloud admitted, "but I don't want to make you worry. A few minutes ago I thought you were going to explode."

Tifa let out a small laugh. "It definitely felt like it." Her smile disappeared as she said, "I'm sorry I did, though. It's just..." she let out another deep sigh before putting a hand on Cloud's face. At this, Marlene gripped Denzel's shoulders ever tighter, leaning farther out of the doorway. Her whole face was illuminated by the kitchen light.

"Marlene! That – really – hurts!" Denzel said through gritted teeth. "And move your head back a little! They might see you!" Marlene simply shushed him.

"I care about you so much," Tifa said softly, "the thought of losing you scares me to death. I don't know what I would do if I did, or what the kids would do. You -" she swallowed hard before adding, "you matter so much to them. To _me_." Denzel knew the redness in her cheeks was not only from crying.

Cloud didn't answer right away. He had a slight crease in his forehead. He looked as if he were having a serious internal battle. Denzel held his breath. _Come on, Cloud. You faced Sephiroth twice, this can't be that hard! _But maybe it was. Cloud was a man of few words. He wasn't one to be open with how he felt. But Denzel, Marlene and Tifa knew how much he was trying.

Cloud brushed some of Tifa's hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "You matter to me, too." After another moment of hesitation, he added, "more than you could know." Even at a distance, Denzel could see the pink of his face.

"Here it comes!" Marlene said, her voice trembling with excitement.

And she was right. As if in sync, Tifa and Cloud leaned closer together, their eyes fluttering shut. Their lips were mere centimeters apart –

\- just at that moment, Marlene (who was bouncing on the balls of her feet in pure glee) somehow lost her balance. She flailed her arms around wildly as she began to fall. In an attempt to regain her balance, Marlene grabbed the closest thing – which happened to be Denzel. The rest seemed to happen in slow motion: the two of them falling forward, Marlene letting out a yelp, Tifa's long hair practically smacking Cloud in the face as she turned towards the source of the noise, Cloud looking greatly disappointed.

"Ouch!" Marlene whined, grabbing at her right arm. "That hurt!"

"You think _that _hurt?!" Denzel retorted, still rubbing the very sore spots on his shoulders that Marlene had gripped so tightly.

Marlene just then seemed to notice that Cloud and Tifa were looking at them. "Uh-oh," she said, her brown eyes wide.

"What in the world are you two still doing up?" Tifa demanded, although it looked like she was trying hard not to smile.

"We wanted to say hi to Cloud," Denzel said, quickly standing up. There was no way Marlene could have vouched for him; she was still looking up at Cloud and Tifa with awe at their almost-kiss.

"….well, hi." Cloud deadpanned. He looked more frustrated at the kids than Tifa, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that was never there before.

"It's way past your bedtime," Tifa scolded gently. "now head on upstairs. You two have school tomorrow."

"….Tifa, tomorrow is Saturday." Marlene said, confused.

Tifa's face, which was already red from the near kiss and the embarrassment of almost being caught by the kids, only deepened in color. "Oh. Right. Well, still!" she pointed to the stairs, looking flustered. "It's after midnight, and you two need to sleep."

"But -" Marlene protested.

"Go on to bed, guys." Cloud said, his frustration seemingly gone as he looked at Tifa's now very flustered face, "I'll be here in the morning."

"Can we have pancakes?" Denzel asked, covering his mouth as he yawned.

Cloud shrugged. "That's up to Tifa."

Tifa closed her eyes in frustration. "Sure, fine, we can have pancakes. Now go to bed!"

"Night," Denzel said, already heading towards the stairs.

"Night!" Marlene said happily, practically skipping behind Denzel. She stopped in her tracks suddenly, looked over her shoulder and gave Cloud and Tifa a sly smile. "Oh, and don't think we didn't see anything. We were sitting there for a while."

Tifa's jaw dropped, and Cloud looked away as his face colored. Marlene giggled with delight as she ran upstairs. Denzel merely walked after her, but smiled the whole way up. _We did it, _he thought as he walked into the bedroom. Marlene took a running start, jumped, and landed on her bed. She grabbed her pillow and stuffed her face into it. Denzel could hear a muffled scream.

_We actually __**did it. **_

Sleep seemed far from the two of them. The two of them chatted about everything they had seen:

"It's about _time!_"

"I thought Cloud would never say anything!"

"I can't believe Tifa _cried!_"

"That kiss though..."

"I know, right?!"

"So. Romantic."

"We could have seen it if you didn't trip over me."

"Shut up!" Marlene said, laughing.

After a few more words, the excitement of the moment had drained away. Exhaustion hit Denzel like a truck, and he found it hard to keep his eyes open. Even Marlene got quiet after a while. But just before Denzel was about to fall asleep, he heard Marlene calling his name.

"What?" he groaned, turning towards her.

"Um. Do you think -" Marlene paused. She played with the end of her braid, something she always did when she was nervous. After a moment she blurted out, "do you think that you and I could ever be like that one day?"

Suddenly Denzel was wide awake again. "_What?" _ He could feel the heat rising in his face, and where he had been so warm and cozy a moment before, he now felt very uncomfortable. Denzel wanted to look away from Marlene, but he didn't seem to be able to. Or want to.

As if on cue, the two of them laughed nervously and said in unison waving a hand, "Pfft. _Nah." _

And yet, even as the night wore on into early morning, and Marlene's steady breathing signaled she was asleep, Denzel couldn't keep the thought out of his mind.


End file.
